By Design: New Amsterdam Pavilion and the September 11 Memorial
Innovative architectural details bring two Lower Manhattan icons to life.
The place: New Amsterdam Plein and Pavilion at Peter Minuit Plaza, New York
The backstory: A busy plaza at the Staten Island Ferry terminal, named for an important Dutch colonial official, needed a focal point.
The beauty: Shaped of heat-moulded Corian, the little pavilion and the sinuously curving benches around it undulate like water in the harbour. The pavilion’s soft white surface and modest scale, against the glassy towers across the street, make an intimate and restful outdoor space.
Fun fact: To honour Peter Minuit—whose surname means “midnight” in French—the pavilion glows in a spectrum of colours nightly at midnight.
And nearby, don’t miss: The 1907 Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House just up State Street at Bowling Green, fabulously embellished but monumentally dignified, houses the National Museum of the American Indian.
Next: Dallas Performance Halls
Previous: National September 11 Memorial, New York
